America’s Indie Rock News Anchors Grill Julian Casablancas

As we mentioned, the Strokes have announced they’ll be headlining this year’s Lollapalooza, and will have a new LP out in September. But as a few of you noticed when we posted the Strokes’s in-the-studio video, Julian Casablancas was a no-show. In this pair of interviews with ABC’s Dan Harris and NBC’s Brian Williams, Casablancas is upfront about both why he isn’t in the studio with his bandmates, why they’re breaking their hiatus to go on tour, and the state of the Strokes:

That wasn’t just a moment of weakness. Casablancas told NBC’s less-convincing hipster newsman Brian Williams something similar during their recent interview:

He’s faintly optimistic about the upcoming shows: “I think things might go smoother than ever, but things might explode. But so far so good.” As Casablancas observed last summer in an interview with The Independent, “We see each other semi-regularly. There are no tensions. But you know, a band is a good way to break up a friendship.”

Note: Stephen Malkmus has been just as honest about reuniting Pavement. Here’s what he said about it to Chuck Klosterman in GQ:

Our booking agent had a lot to do with it. He’s been pushing for it for a while. … Will it be fun for us? Will people in the audience have fun? Who knows? It’s not like I’m gagging to get out there and play those songs, but I am curious to see what it will be like, and I’m curious to see the other guys and watch them play onstage again. I’m assuming it’s going to be fun.

It’s probably no coincidence that both Malkmus and Casablancas have newborns (Casablancas had a kid this month, Malkmus had his second late last year). Extra responsibilities get you thinking a little more shrewdly. So if you’re reuniting strictly for money, be as cynical as possible about it. It’s the most honest thing you can do, maybe next to not reuniting at all. So, does knowing why The Strokes or Pavement are touring this summer make it less exciting?

Toward the end of that ABC clip he says the new one “…sounds more like the last record.”

I’m hoping that, when the full Brian Williams interview is online, we’ll also find out when he started wearing feather extensions. I thought they were just for the Boombox Lonely Island video. Kind of an intense day look, I think.

So, the soonest we’ll hear the new album is January? They’re touring because the money offers were too good to pas sup? Now that I’m disillusioned, I don’t really care if I ever see another Strokes album or show. Oh well.

I’m cool with that, which I is why I happily pay for records and live shows. I guess I was hoping for a little more enthusiasm. You know, “We’re excited to make music together again.” or “We have some great songs we’re excited to play live.”

C’mooooooon, people didn’t know the motivation behind all of these band reunions?

The puzzling thing is the new record. They are not really getting along or working together. They’ll put out a shitty record and bow out in a sour note. Why not just play the shows and see how that turns out in band chemistry? They’ll sell out every stadium just because of the old songs anyway.

I’m not even a big fan or anything, it’s just the general thought that annoys me.

Are you all idiots? First, to those who got out of this interview that they weren’t getting along, he never said that. The reason they’re laying the tracks down separately is because of Julian being so opinionated and him now wanting them to have more input into the album. By him not being their, they’re album to work on stuff they want and like, without him looking over every detail. Plus, he’s on tour. A lot of bands do this, the music is recorded and the vocals laid over it, duh.

And to all you who think they’re getting back together for the money, he never said THAT. He said that the offers TO PLAY THE FESTIVALS were too good to pass up. It’s not like they are getting paid to get back together and produce and album, they’re doing that because they want to and everyone is now ready to do that. Why would a band pass up that much money to play some huge festivals AND promote their album that will be out a few months later?

THE FESTIVALS ARE BEING PLAYED FOR MONEY the album is being made because they’re all ready to produce something together again, not that hard to understand.

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